Looking for Hyles' converts

You have raised some interesting points. There are a lot of undefined variables in our discussion. It would appear that that some are rushing to conclusions even before we are clear on what we are asking.

The lack of supposed evidence here does not really prove anything. It’s rather like proving a universal negative. Just because we cannot find people who say Jack Hyles personally led them to the Lord does not necessarily prove they do not exist. Perhaps we are looking in the wrong places or they are not coming forward for some reason.

The question implied in the OP is whether Jack Hyles practiced personal soul-winning. Not finding converts, who attest they were personally led to the Lord by Jack, does not necessarily mean that Hyles was not active in witnessing. There are at least three or four scenarios that could explain this situation:
1. Jack Hyles did not personally practice what he preached (i.e. personal soul-winnin).
2. Jack Hyles practiced personal soul-winning but most of his converts were not genuinely saved (This brings doubt on his methodology).
3. Our survey methods are at fault and we cannot find the people Hyles led to the Lord.
4. As a variant of # 3, many people, whom Hyles met and led to the Lord in public places (i.e. planes, airports, business meetings, luncheons, etc.), do not remember who he was.
5. Any combination of the above.

One important point is that everyone who prays a prayer is not necessarily saved. Some may pray to please the soul-winner. These false converts disappear into anonymity. However, if one does find people who are faithfully serving the Lord after twenty to thirty years, it is a good indication of true conversion. This was true of numerous people, whom I mentioned in an earlier post, saved under the ministry of Oliver B. Greene. Remember that soul-winning or evangelizing is pictured by the Parable of the Sower.

 

I may be a little short on my Bible knowledge but could someone please give me the Scriptural reference for praying and making a commitment? I can't seem to find it. It says in my KJV: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9)."

Of course, there is, I understand, a division among some of the BBF as to whether repentance is necessary for salvation. Does anyone know or care to comment?

 

Doesn't the confession of Christ as Lord signify repentance from an old way of life?

 

You answered your own question, it seems to me.

 

Yes. "Confess" means agreement that we are wrong and God is right about our sinfulness with the direct implication that we accept His way over ours. This text decidedly points toward the necessity of repentance for salvation.

 

Squire,

Sarcasm is an honest form of communication. The answer to the question is "Where are all the converts that Jack Hyles personally led to Christ?" Since he lived and preached in Hammond, where are they?

The truth is, Hyles [inflammatory comment deleted] preached 50,000 sermons in his lifetime (that's three a day every day for 50 years) and won untold thousands to Christ.

You don't see the humor in that?

[ December 14, 2005, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: C4K ]

 

Surely on Baptist Board, there must be "one" who will say that Hyles personally "won" him to the Lord. Where are you?

As for you Squire, you need to chill out and let the thread do its job. Why are you so skittish?

 

Paul33,

Baptist Board has a reputation amongst those within IFBdom of being decidedly UNfriendly towards us.

You are very unlikely to find very many here who currently attend FBC Hammond, and those who ARE friendly towards Hyles are few and far between on this board.

There MIGHT be one or two willing to speak up, who are right now members of FBC Hammond....yet we all know there are thousands of them in that area. They simply aren't on this board. In fact, the board run by FBC Hammond (not the one Dr. Bob linked to) is not very large. Most of them are simply not online, and message boards are not part of their daily life.

So it does not surprise me in the least that those you are asking for arent here.


I also think that paidogogos did an excellent job summing up what we really know on this issue. He did a good job putting it into proper perspective.

One other comment I would make is, if Dr Hyles were alive, Im sure he could take us to those who he's led to the Lord. Someone mentioned that they could do this for themselves....but could everyone else who knows you do that for you?

 

Fair enough. But "wow!"

 

I personally know of a couple that was led to Christ by Hyles. They now live in East Central Illinois.

Brutus

 

Most certainly it does. However, there is a lot of fuzzy thinking out there today so that words don't mean what you think. For example, some Christians try to differentiate between accepting Christ as Savior and accepting him as Lord. (One cannot split the two apart.) Such muddled thinking, leads to the carnal Christian theory whereby one may be saved and continue living in sin. They claim repentance is not essential for salvation. So, the confession of Christ as Lord is so many words without meaning or a basis in reality. What do you think?

 

You answered your own question, it seems to me. </font>[/QUOTE]Tell me. I’m not sure if you agreeing or disagreeing. Is confess (ομολογησης) synonymous with pray? I don’t think so. Look at Romans 10:10-11. I don’t see anything about praying or making a commitment. It seems to say believe and confess. These two good Biblical terms, believe and confess, seem to be the requirements for being saved. Is a person, who believes in Christ and confesses Him as Lord and Savior, saved even though he doesn’t pray a sinner’s prayer? What do you think?

BTW, what does it mean to make a commitment? What is the commitment that one is making? What happens if one doesn’t keep the commitment?

 

I further Squire's warning. Be on notice that this topic is subject to closure without notice.